Tomato tray



Jan. 24, 1956 GLAZER 2,732,120

TOMATO TRAY Filed April 12, 1954 FIG.I

INVENTOR. MEYER BLAZER BYhM United States Patent TOMATO TRAY Meyer Glazer, Norfolk, Va. Application April 12, 1954, Serial No. 422,366

2 Claims. .(Cl. 229-31) This invention relates to .an improved foldable tray blank and to the tray formed therefrom when the tray is erected, and the novel features reside in the reinforced Figure 1 is a plan view of the flat blank as it is initially formed.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same blank formed by folding the side and inner end wall portions over the bottom and outer end wall portions, respectively.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the blank partially set up to form a tray.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one end of the tray, showing the side and end walls erected.

The flat blank is made of a paper material Well known to the art and comprises a bottom defined by side and end lines 11 and 12, respectively, scored to provide fold lines. Side walls 13 and 14, respectively, are hinged to the bottom along the score lines 11. The bottom 10 has outer end walls 15 hinged at 12 and an outer flap cover 16 is hinged to each outer end Wall along the score line 15a.

Each side 13, at each end, has an integral, corner forming panel 17 hinged along score line 13a. The panel 17 is also integral with adjacent end wall 15 and hinged thereto along score line 11a. The panel is cut and scored, as shown at 17a, diagonally outwardly from the juncture of the score lines 11a, 13a, the out line extending from said junction point for a short distance along said diagonal, whence the diagonal is scored for a portion of its length and then is cut for the remaining portion of its length to the point as shown in Figure 2, where it meets the diagonal from the opposite side when partially folded for erection. The diagonal extends fully to the edge of the panel to a point short of score line 13a along which end panel 18 is joined to panel 17. Each panel 17 has a centrally disposed, integral tab 19, the tab being cut from the body of end panel 18, as shown. Each end panel 18 has an end wing 20 attached thereto by score line 20a, the score line extending only a portion of the width of the panel, the remaining portion of the width being out along line 20b, a portion of the out being offset from the score line 2011, as shown.

It will be noted that the end panels 18 on one, the lower, side of the blank, as shown in Figure 1, are Wider than the corresponding panels on the opposite side of the blank. One edge of each panel 18 on said opposite upper side 2,732, atented Jan. ,24, 1.9.5.6

is coated with an adhesive, so that it may adhere to the overlapping portion 18b when the sides are folded as shown in Figure 2.

In folding the blank to form a tray, the sides 13, 14am folded over the bottom along score lines 11. At the same time, the corner forming panels 17, end panels 18 andend wings 20 are folded over the end walls '15 and cover flaps 16 as shown, :the opposite side panels 18 beingadhesively joined as described. In this folded position, as shown in Figure 2, the parts 13, 1.4, 17, 18 and 20 form an inner Wall overlapping the bottom 10, end wall 15 and cover flap 16, respectively, which now form an .outer wall. The

outer edges B .of the inner wall .are separated from the outer edges .C of the outer wall :by .a =cut-out portion D extending from the outer side marginal edge E (Figure 2) of the upper margin of :the corner forming panel 17 to the endedge F .of said overlapping inner and outer walls.

lfthe folded blank is now graspedattheend assemblies now designated .as A in Figure 2, andtth ese assemblies are bent towards each other along the score lines 12 and 13a the side and end walls will automatically be erected, the corner forming panels 17 folding automatically along score line 17a so that the respective triangular portions thereof lie in face to face contact, as shown in Figure 3. When thus erected, the diagonals of these corner forming panels extend towards each other and meet substantially along the longitudinal center line of the end wall, the material of said panels 17 reinforcing end wall 15 against the crushing forces to which it may be subjected.

With the walls held in this position, the end panels 18 are folded along score line 18a over the folded panels 17. It will be noted in Figure 1 that a transverse slot 21 is provided in the bottom 10 at each end thereof, slightly inward of the score line 12, forming a projection 22 at the bottom of end wall 15. As the end panels 18 are folded over one another in overlapping relation as shown in Figure 2, a locking tongue 23 is formed from the portions 23', 23 thereof, this tongue entering the slot 21 parallel to the projection 22 as shown in Figure 3 to lock the tray in its erected condition. The end wings 20 are simultaneously folded along score line 20a and lie flat on the bottom 10, substantially at right angles to the end panels 18. The tabs 19 extend vertically substantially parallel to the outer end Wall 15 and lend additional support to said end wall.

Changes in the construction and design may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable tray blank comprising a sheet of material scored along longitudinal and transverse lines to form a bottom, side walls and end walls, a pair of corner forming panels at each end of the blank, each panel being integrally joined to the adjacent side and end walls along said score lines, each corner forming panel, beginning at the juncture of said score lines, being cut and scored diagonally for a portion of its length, the scored portion lying intermediate said out portions along said diagonal, a cut portion extending to the outer marginal edge of said panel, an end panel hinged to each corner forming panel along a score line, a tab integral with said corner forming panel struck from said end panel; an end wing integrally joined to said end panel along a score line extending for a portion of the width of said panel and wing, the remaining portion of said length being separated by a out line beginning where said last mentioned score line terminates and extending a predetermined length longitudinally towards the end of the blank and then extending substantially at right angles thereto to the outer side margin of the blank; the end panels and end wings on one side of the blank being slightly wider than the corresponding members on the other side of the blank, to overlap said members for an adhesive connection when the blank is folded; the portions of the end panels formed by said cut line forming a locking tongue when joined in overlapping relation; said corner forming panels folding along said scored lines and lying parallel to the adjacent end walls when the blank is erected, said tabs extending above said panels and lying parallel to their respective end walls; the diagonal score lines of said corner forming panels meeting substantially along the longitudinal center line of said end Walls; the end panels being foldable over said corner forming panels along the score lines connecting them; said bottom being provided with a transverse slot at each end substantially centrally thereof and inwards of said transverse score lines; the locking tongue of said end panels entering said slot to lock the tray in erected position when said end panels are folded over said corner forming panels, said end wings simultaneously being foldable along score lines to lie parallel to said bottom on each side of each locking tongue.

2. A folded box comprising integral bottom, side and outer end Walls, the end walls being higher than the adja cent side walls, corner forming panels folded upon themselves along a diagonal line and being integral with said side and end walls, end panels and end wings integral with said corner forming panels and folded over the face of said corner forming panels to form with said corner forming panels an inner reinforcing wall abutting each end wall; tabs integral with each corner forming panel and cut from the adjacent end panel, said tabs extending upwardly along the inner faces of the outer end walls of the box and reinforcing said end walls above the open face of the box; a locking tongue integral with said end panel cut from each end wing, said end panels being folded over the corner forming panels along a score line above the upper edge of said corner forming panels; said bottom having a transverse slot adjacent each end wall, said locking tongue extending into said slot, said end wings being folded inwardly of the box along a score line where they join said end panels, said end wings extending along said bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,532,808 Grinnell Dec. 5, 1950 

